Kuvarakh turned away from Phobius long enough to roll his eyes. The boy continued to be insecure to the point of near debilitation. He was probably the most likeable person the Nuit had met in his hundred and fifty years, but still acted as though his presence was a bother. He turned back with a sincere smile, "Nonsense, Phobius. You're always welcome. You've been doing a splendid job for me, and...oh, that reminds me..."
As the hunter introduced himself to Phobius, Kuvarakh tried to remember where he'd placed the sack of mizas he'd set aside as pay for his "courier". He suppressed a grin at the thought of how the Inartan would swell with pride at that choice of job title. He'd never withheld his opinion that it was vastly preferable to "messenger".
Kuvarakh suddenly realized that it seemed to hinge on him to decide if the conversation he'd been having with Redire was to be shared with Phobius. He took it upon himself to make the call. "I see no reason why Redire should not be privy to the fact that I'm paying you for working for me, since he and I are currently working out having him also work for me. It can hardly be any setback to our negotiations for him to see me pay up."
He handed the bag across the counter to the vividly red-headed young man. "There you are, my boy. Three hundred mizas." He was gratified to see the surprised look on Phobius' face. It was endearing to see the youngster hesitate to take the bag, as if afraid there was a mistake. Kuvarakh could practically hear the boy worrying that he'd end up in trouble if he took more pay than he was expecting. Kuvarakh decided to extend the mercy of an explanation.
"As I said, you've been doing a splendid job. You're getting to know your way around this city better every day. You've done some jobs for me that didn't really fit into the 'courier' job description. AND, you always bring a smile with you. I decided to give you a raise to 3 gold mizas per day. That, and a tip, to make it an even three hundred." He winked, "Don't spend it all in one place."
Then it occurred to him that Redire might need a guide to get supplies. "Uh...actually, stick a round for a moment, Phobius. We might need you." He turned to Redire. "So, actually, 'Kuvarakh', IS my first name. My last name is 'Lashman'. I supposedly had a distant ancestor who delivered the punishments on some vessel in the Zeltivan navy."
He shrugged with a slight grimace, "Anyway, that's where I heard it came from. So, I'm certainly willing to help you get as safely outfitted as possible, If there's still supplies you need. But naturally, it will come out of the return on your hides and leathers. As for tips on hunting or regional flora and fauna, I'm afraid you're probably better off without MY advice. And as far as the number of hides, that would be up to you. Whatever you feel that you can lug back to town without too much trouble."
As the hunter introduced himself to Phobius, Kuvarakh tried to remember where he'd placed the sack of mizas he'd set aside as pay for his "courier". He suppressed a grin at the thought of how the Inartan would swell with pride at that choice of job title. He'd never withheld his opinion that it was vastly preferable to "messenger".
Kuvarakh suddenly realized that it seemed to hinge on him to decide if the conversation he'd been having with Redire was to be shared with Phobius. He took it upon himself to make the call. "I see no reason why Redire should not be privy to the fact that I'm paying you for working for me, since he and I are currently working out having him also work for me. It can hardly be any setback to our negotiations for him to see me pay up."
He handed the bag across the counter to the vividly red-headed young man. "There you are, my boy. Three hundred mizas." He was gratified to see the surprised look on Phobius' face. It was endearing to see the youngster hesitate to take the bag, as if afraid there was a mistake. Kuvarakh could practically hear the boy worrying that he'd end up in trouble if he took more pay than he was expecting. Kuvarakh decided to extend the mercy of an explanation.
"As I said, you've been doing a splendid job. You're getting to know your way around this city better every day. You've done some jobs for me that didn't really fit into the 'courier' job description. AND, you always bring a smile with you. I decided to give you a raise to 3 gold mizas per day. That, and a tip, to make it an even three hundred." He winked, "Don't spend it all in one place."
Then it occurred to him that Redire might need a guide to get supplies. "Uh...actually, stick a round for a moment, Phobius. We might need you." He turned to Redire. "So, actually, 'Kuvarakh', IS my first name. My last name is 'Lashman'. I supposedly had a distant ancestor who delivered the punishments on some vessel in the Zeltivan navy."
He shrugged with a slight grimace, "Anyway, that's where I heard it came from. So, I'm certainly willing to help you get as safely outfitted as possible, If there's still supplies you need. But naturally, it will come out of the return on your hides and leathers. As for tips on hunting or regional flora and fauna, I'm afraid you're probably better off without MY advice. And as far as the number of hides, that would be up to you. Whatever you feel that you can lug back to town without too much trouble."
